Thinking About Thought Leaders

Are you a thought leader?

Think about that for a minute.

Hopefully, you are the leader of your thoughts.

If you don’t listen to yourself, how can you expect others to listen to you?

Of course you don’t know everything. No one does, not even the self-proclaimed ‘Gurus’, ‘Experts’, ‘Influencers’ and yes, ‘Thought Leaders’.

While it is wise to continuously listen to and learn from those who know more than you, it’s important to make up your own mind.

Choose to listen to those who have already accomplished what you want to accomplish, not someone who proclaims to have answers for a path they have not yet traveled. If you let the thoughts of others outside your path lead you, you may end up at an undesirable destination.

Remember Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich?
When did thinking give way to hacking?
There is no substitute for learning and common sense.

Earning a degree or certification does not make you an expert or guarantee success. Real education begins when you start doing the work. Gaining knowledge helps form a foundation but execution is where the rubber meets the road. Thinking, testing, failing and trying again solves problems and creates success, not mere application of theories. Think about how many times it took Einstein to figure out the light bulb.

The next time you’re ready to follow a new thought leader, take a step back and ask yourself if you truly want to walk in their shoes.

Since we were children we’ve been programmed to answer the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

YOU ARE NOT YOUR JOB.

I learned this lesson years ago while attending Fast Company Magazine’s Community At Work conference in Colorado. We weren’t allowed to bring business cards. We had to create an un-business card to announce who we were by the difference we make. The timing was perfect, as I was in between jobs. We are human beings, not human doings. Who we are is defined by how we show up in the world.

By all means do what you love - write, music, sing, dance, art, help people. Work is a means to an end. We work to get and do what we love. Too often, work takes us away from who and what we love.

Instead, we should be asking our children and ourselves: “How do you want to live?”
Think about that for minute.

What does living the life of your dreams look like?
Do you know anyone who lives that way?
Find them and ask if they can teach you how to create that kind of life.
The kind of life where you can do what you love with those you love all the time.

It’s been said we’re the sum of the 5 people we hang out with most.
I disagree.
I believe we’re the sum of the 5 people we listen to.

Who is leading your thoughts?

Be your own thought leader.

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